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  1. This work explores the experiences of administrators supporting teachers in the [redacted] program which emphasizes broadening participation in engineering at the high school level. In order to understand how efforts to broaden participation can leverage multiple levels of the school system, this work sought to identify the experiences of administrators. Two rounds of convenience samples of administrators in public and independent schools occurred in spring and fall of 2022. This recruitment led to two focus groups (with both public and independent school administrators) and a single administrator interview (independent school). During these conversations, administrators were asked to reflect on the implementation of the [redacted] program at their school, their personal experiences with this process, and barriers or suggestions in expanding this program both locally and more broadly. The transcripts of these interviews and focus groups were analyzed using descriptive coding (Saldaña, 2014) by two researchers. The researchers then met and compared codes to ensure inter-rater reliability with a percent agreement above 90%. During this process the codes were categorized and then emergent themes were identified. The findings indicate that administrators have a range of personal experience with implementing this engineering program, and that often these experiences were reported as a benefit to the entire school. For instance, administrators often referred to connections made to local universities by or as a result of the program, which then served as a positive outcome for the school at large. This suggests that a multifaceted approach to implementing engineering courses at the high school level which includes curriculum as well as human connections is seen as a benefit by administrators. Administrators also refer to the coursework and teacher actions as supporting the goal of broadening participation by speaking about specific engineering projects that engage a variety of learners, mostly through the type of project employed within the course. Finally, the administrators identified potential barriers to implementing engineering programs on their campus, with most barriers relating to teacher staffing issues, such as the need to engage in professional development to train these teachers externally. The themes that emerged from these various administrators perspectives provide an understanding of how to approach broadening participation through leveraging the role of administrators and how to encourage communication within the school system to create more access for students both to enroll in the engineering courses and to see a future self within engineering. 
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    Free, publicly-accessible full text available June 1, 2024
  2. Students with disabilities (SWDs) and neurodiverse students are underrepresented at all points along the educational pathway in engineering. One potential entry point for engaging SWDs and broadening future participation in engineering is through the role of stakeholder in engineering design challenges, and specifically during high school, which is a crucial part of the pathway to engineering. High school teachers and students engaged in Engineering for US All (e4usa) have completed several engineering design projects involving SWDs as stakeholders. These projects represent a human-centered approach to engineering that emphasizes a comprehensive understanding of stakeholders. This work in progress will present results from surveys completed by e4usa teachers and students who have engaged in disability-centered engineering design challenges, with SWDs serving as the stakeholder to understand their experiences. Additionally, SWDs serving as stakeholders and those that support them (e.g., special education teachers, paraprofessionals, related service providers, families) will be interviewed about their experiences engaging in their project. Potential implications of the research findings include the impact of engaging SWDs in engineering design, especially as it relates to increased knowledge of general education teachers and students about inclusive practices and supports (e.g., evidence-based practices, alternative communication strategies, prompting). Additionally, the outcomes may contribute to efforts to broaden the participation of SWDs in engineering. Doing so, will help support the e4usa mission, which aims to demystify and democratize the learning and practice of engineering by increasing engineering literacy for all and expand opportunities for those traditionally underserved and marginalized in engineering to pursue careers as engineers and expand the STEM workforce pipeline. 
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    Free, publicly-accessible full text available June 1, 2024
  3. In July 2021, Computer Science (CS) standards were officially added as a subject area within the K-12 Montana content standards. However, due to a lack of professional development and pre-service preparation in CS, schools and teachers in Montana are underprepared to implement these standards. Montana is also a unique state, since AmericanIndian education is mandated by the state constitution in what is known as the IndianEducation for All Act. We are developing elementary and middle school units and teacher training materials that simultaneously address CS, Indian Education, and other Montana content standards. In this paper, we present a unit for fourth through sixth grades using a participatory design approach. Through physical computing, students create a visual narrative of their own stories inspired by ledger art, an American Indian art medium for recording lived experiences. We discuss the affordances and challenges of an integrated approach to CS teaching and learning in elementary and middle schools in Montana. 
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